David Cantrell wrote:
I just don't see what benefit Oyster would have for me, and I live in
London!

asdf wrote:
Single fares are cheaper, particularly on buses. You spend less time
queueing for tickets and ticket extensions. And you never pay more
than the price of a Travelcard for a day's travel (on tube/bus/DLR),
even if you don't know at the start of the day whether you'll make
enough journeys to justify getting a Travelcard.

However, if you have a Travelcard season, and never go outside your
zones, the advantages appear to be more limited: potential additional
ease of getting through ticket gates, and the ability to renew your
season online.

I second what asdf has said - if you're using the tube and/or buses and
buying single fares, even on an occasional basis, then Oyster Pre-Pay
can save you dosh. A couple of examples - with Oyster Pre-Pay, it's an
80p off-peak fare on the bus as opposed to £1.20. Also, at weekends
and after 7pm, a Zone 1 - 6 single Tube ticket will cost you £3.80,
but only £2 with Oyster.

Also, as asdf has said, the price capping means you don't pay more that
a Day Travelcard even if you don't plan ahead. Though as the Oyster
Pre-Pay system is still not accepted on most National Rail (NR) routes
in the capital, this can mean that you effectively pay for a Day
Travelcard yet you don't get the full functionality of one - though
AIUI, eventually NR will participate fully in the Oyster Pre-Pay
scheme.

If you have a Travelcard season and do go outside the zones covered on
the Tube, then you'll never have to queue to buy an extension (or
forget to buy one & get hit with a £10 penalty fare, as a scatty
friend of mine always seemed to manage to do) as the Oyster system will
automatically debit the extension fare from you Oyster Pre-Pay balance.

And it's just conveniant having this bit of plastic that you've
pre-loaded with money rather than having to fumble for change and buy
tickets the whole time.